Chair's chatter for June

Lisa Plumridge, Chair of the Winchmore Hill Residents' Association

It’s been a busy few months in the village and it’s great to see people out on the Common and the Potters terrace now the weather’s warmed up.

There have been big changes at the Potters Arms, with an extended Nepalese family arriving and new team Monk, Lov and Saurav taking the helm. The opening party at the beginning of March was a happy, cheerful affair, with the new owners, family and friends, locals and Gurkhas all rubbing shoulders, admiring the refreshed interior and sampling the Nepalese food on offer. Proceeds from the food were donated to the Gurkha Welfare Trust, a very nice touch. The chaps have continued to impress with their cheerful welcomes, delicious food and enthusiasm for village life. You’ll hear more from them elsewhere do pop in to say hello if you haven’t already.

You are probably aware that having been empty for two years and up for lease for most of that, the Plough is now on the market with offers for sale or lease all invited. There are some interested parties and we are aware of offers being made so are hopeful it will be up and running again soon. 

Our monthly Community Lunch has gone from strength to strength, averaging around 25 of us enjoying a veggie soup and roll, gluten free also catered for. If you fancy the company but would rather eat from the main menu, that’s fine too - the soup’s free and you pay for drinks and other items as you go. Our highlight so far this year was the lunch that fell on VE Day. Several participants dressed up, Trish plied us with homemade cakes and some of the older members of the group told us stories of their war experiences. We particularly enjoyed John Turner’s tales of taking over his father’s allotment and going from boy to man in the process. Dates are flexible and are always advertised on our various channels.

The walking club, now led by Lindsay Gregory and Di Blackborough, has recently enjoyed some new faces and larger groups. The walks tend to be gentle and meandering, more recently ending up at one of the local pubs for well-earned refreshments. Here's a report of a recent excursion.

If your pace is a bit speedier, the running club on Monday evenings at 6pm caters for a wide range of runners and has space for more. More details and a tale from a recent convert here.

Now the weather’s better we’ve restarted our Share, Reuse, Recycle initiative. The first one was in April and they will run on the first Sunday of the month for the next few months. Simply place items that are in good condition but that you no longer need outside your home for collection anytime between 10am and 4pm. This was a great success last year, with many happy locals finding books, tools, furniture and sports gear amongst other items. For larger items, we’re happy to advertise on Facebook.

For those who are wondering what’s happening with our wildflower patch, It’s been so dry, even the daisies are few and far between compared to last year. Hopefully the recent rain will generate some late blooming and growth - even the yellow rattle is sparse right now and the harebells are yet to show their faces. The area is scheduled to have its annual cut on October 10th.

Finally, you’ll be pleased to hear Whielden Lane has been listed as priority to repair although we don’t yet have any definite dates.

Do keep an eye out on Facebook or join our village WhatsApp group for details on all upcoming activities and village matters and get in touch if you have anything you’d like us to report.

There is a lot to look forward to over the coming weeks and months. First up, our Open Gardens event on 14th June raising funds for Rennie Grove Peace, our Memorial Hall and the allotments. We’ve again kept the entry price low in order to make the event more accessible for all. We have 10 gardens plus the Community Tree Nursery, Allotments and Wildflowers, Billy the Cabbie is on board to transport anyone less mobile and the Memorial Hall will be serving teas, coffees, savouries and cakes. Do join us. You can download the flyer here

Now in its 7th year, the Oh Shala festival is coming to the Big Park on Penn House Estate on July 25th-27th and is ‘a celebration of all things yoga, meditation, sound, dance, art and therapy within a family oriented, sober and vegan space’. We’re looking forward to exploring further.

On July 19th we launch our inaugural Safari Supper. We’ll start with an aperitif at the Memorial Hall, will then be hosted for the main course at various homes around the village and will return to the Potters at the end of the night. Tickets are available from Trish on 07887 898973 and you can find out more details here.

Our next big event is of course the Show and Produce Show on September 6th. We’ve now finalised the latter’s categories to remove a few that had limited entries and supplemented with additional children’s classes that will be supported by workshops run by Abby Permann throughout the summer.

There will be a litter pick in early October, currently scheduled for October 4th, 3-4pm. We tend to pick for an hour, with gloves, picks and rubbish bags provided and there are children’s prizes for the most interesting find and the biggest haul. Afterwards we’ll head to the Potters Arms for warm drinks and snacks for participating youngsters.

As always, a big thank-you to the teams that plan and manage all of these events and initiatives. If you’d like to get involved, please do get in touch - there is plenty of room for additional pairs of hands.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Lisa